Stay with here for a while....you'll see what I mean...
This has been a great season, although I have not caught up with a decent buck yet....I've passed several.
I did kill a doe back on Oct. 5th and also killed a coyote in Missouri.
But my season was absolutely made last weekend...I watched over Cade's shoulder as he released a great shot that resulted in his first antlered buck(his fourth deer with a stick,at 14yds. old). Nothing I do or kill this season will touch the feelings I have about that day. From here on in, everything is just a bonus...
After a great sit yesterday in Westchester Co.(bowhunting only)that showed some chasing, and a couple passed up small bucks. I thought for sure this was the day a good buck would show himself...not to be...I still haven't been close to killing a good buck
I still have 2 buck tags, and a couple DMP anterless tags.
This morning, I couldn't go to my place in Westchester....so it was time to join the gun season that started here yesterday...of course, I'd be carrying my bow.
There's very few places that I feel safe to hunt during the gun season, and Dads stand behind his house is my favorite little honey hole when the orange army invades.
It's been good to my in the Past...
I tried to cheat and checked your fb page. LOL!!! :D Didn't work...
It's was cold this morning....about 18 degrees as I dressed in mom and dads driveway....layers!!!
With the help of my little red headlamp I easily found my way to dads stand. it was fresh as daisy....I had not hunted it all season, I'd only been in there to check that everything was ok with it back in Sept.. It's a double ladderstand...
Quiet! It was so quiet...strangely quiet....I can remember texting my buddy Tommy how quiet it was...not a single gunshot in the distance....for hours...and not a single deer either....
Then, about 8:20 or so, I heard a distant shot, then another, and another barrage....hmmmm
Then over the next 20 minutes of so every few minutes in some direction, there was some shooting...
I thought to myself....I guess the deer have started moving....
A few minutes later...almost as if on cue, I noticed movement to the east of me up in an overgrown orchard...
:campfire:
At first, I thought what I was seeing through my bino's was a coyote walking toward me through the brush...
But seconds later, as it cleared the brush I could see this was a deer, and one I wanted to shoot!
I turned...switched on the video camera....checked with bino's again that this was a deer I wanted to shoot....oh yeah!
I took my bow off the hook...
:campfire:
The buck was coming right down the trail that intersected the trail I used to get to the stand....but....hanging at that junction....were the two frozen Tarsel glands from the buck Cade shot last week....the buck closed...
Would he pay more attention to the tarsal's,or my residual scent where I'd crossed and freak out....I was about find out...
Bow ready, feet set, fully concentrated on what was about to happen....it was coming together...
He came out behind the last tree that blocked any shot opportunity, here we go...he's about to get to the tarsel's...........he stops for a sniff!
This will be good
:campfire: :coffee:
:campfire:
Wait, where is my coffee cup? :coffee:
NICE!!! Keep it coming Brother!!!
This is gonna be good!!!
:campfire: :coffee:
Bisch
Somehow the bow got drawn...because next thing I know, my arrow is through him and blood bursts from the wound as he takes off!!
He wouldn't make it far, the 250gn. VPA had sliced it's way...at about 60yds away, he flipped over backward....after 30yrs behind the bow, the feeling still hasn't changed...I texted dad...
As I packed up, I couldn't help but marvel at what had just fallen to my arrow....I'd only ever seen one deer his equal in all my years!!
I took my time and tried to get everything on video and pix...
You can see the tarsal hanging at the very top of the picture...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer001.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer002.JPG)
Chartreuse turned blaze orange...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer003.JPG)
Cut hair...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer004.JPG)
Although I knew exactly where he was, as I always do....I followed the bloodtrail to him.
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer005.JPG)
Here's where the "sort of" in the title comes into play...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer006.JPG)
In over 30yrs. of hunting I'd only seen one other adult buck that had nothing but "nubs" for antlers!
The reason I looked him over so carefully as he closed in was because I didn't want to knowingly shoot a button buck fawn, I could easily tell he was not...stout body and neck...
So, with less than 3" of antler he was considered "antlerless", and was a candidate for one of my DMP tags, and I wouldn't have to use one of my buck tags....all this went through my head before the shot...and any deer taken with a stick during gun season is pretty cool....I'm thankful for the opportunity!
Cool...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer007.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer008.JPG)
Congrats, never seen one like that before! Cool! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I've never seen one either...but a bow kill in gun season is a trophy no matter what...congrats brother!!!
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer009.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer010.JPG)
Compared to a VPA 1 1/4" 250gn'r...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer011.JPG)
He's a pretty buck, not a mark on him, beautiful colors...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer012.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer013.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/lifedeer014.JPG)
So there you have it....my "sort of, buck of a lifetime"....don't know if I'll ever see another like him....
Thanx for following along...
Pretty cool Curt, congratulations.
Way to go Curt! Very nice trophy during gun season! Congrats!
Kenny :thumbsup: :clapper:
Cool. I killed one like that in Westchester about 25 years ago. Well done Bud!
Nice deer Curt. :clapper:
Very nice, congrats!!!
Congrats bud!
Awesome Curt! :thumbsup:
I shot one a few weeks ago like that. I had my bow in one hand and my Swarovski's in the other and never seen the antlers at 20 yards.
Well done Brother!!! :thumbsup:
Great story Curt and a nice looking young buck! Congrats to you on a unique deer. :thumbsup:
Curt, that just might be cooler than if it was a big 'ol bruiser!
Congrats, bud!
Bisch
Yesterday morning after shooting over a 140 in class 11 pointer[I failed to check my brace height after stringing and later found out it was 1/4 in low ....ugh!] I saw a doe running toward me with a larger deer chasing and grunting.It stopped under my tree and all he had were 2 large hershey kisses on his head.Several years ago in this same area I had 3 bucks come by me one morning the third one worked a scrape in front of me and he also had just a set of hershey kisses on his head.I managed to shoot a short video of him as he walked by.
Congrats again buddy on a rare trophy :bigsmyl: :thumbsup:
Tracy
Congratulations Curt!
congrats Curt
Very cool! Skull mount that interesting buck! Congrats!
Sweet! :D
Good job bud!! Congrats!
I didn't get the gun season buck pulled off ....yet...
Nice Curt.....congrats!!! See you've got the old bow out.... :thumbsup:
Great hunt! Congratulations, lots of good eating this winter! :thumbsup:
Bernie
Cool! I saw an elk once that had antlers about the size of beer cans.
Very cool! Nice shootin! Congrats
Steve
Nice work!
Neat deer , congrats sir...
,,,Sam,,,
Way to go Curt. Any deer with a bow during gun season is special.
Nice shooting Curt....love those VPAs!
Good one, Curt.
Thanks for sharing.
Congrats Curt!
Great photos and a well told story Curt. Like your thoughts on glassing to make sure "no buttons" exist. Every hunter should do that before filling a "doe" tag. Congratulations.
Good Hunting,
Craig
Congrats Curt!! Nice "buck", and great shot as usual.
David
Very Cool
C
Nice job bud! Congrats on a pretty looking deer, is that the same stand you took that six a few years back and have the pic of three generations? Thanks for the great story and pica as always. Joe
Congratulations on your trophy Curt!
QuoteOriginally posted by JoeM:
Nice job bud! Congrats on a pretty looking deer, is that the same stand you took that six a few years back and have the pic of three generations? Thanks for the great story and pica as always. Joe
Yes it is bud!
Also the stand Cade shot his second deer from back in '12, and the stand I shot my "Ten Years and Two days" buck from last year.
Very cool curt CONGRATS! Good one to take out of the herd
Ha!You got me, when I saw the title I thought "Here we go, Curt shot a monster..."
Last years tough winter must have been hard on some of the buttonbucks here in NJ, because I've seen about 5 spikes this fall that if killed could be registered as yours,(a buck must have antlers at least 3 inches long). But, I must say, yours takes the cake! Congrats
Good hunting and great story-telling, Curt. Maybe you've started a new trophy category..polled whitetails. If he's anything like polled Hereford's , it'll eat well. :D
Cool experience...for sure Curt...!
Awesome buddy!!
Pretty cool!
Way to go Curt! Unique buck during gun season!!
Congrats, buddy!
Very cool story thank you for shareing, and congratulations. Any idea how old he was?
What a unique buck! Are you doing a euro mount of that skull? I think it would be really cool to preserve it somehow.
QuoteOriginally posted by Guru:
QuoteOriginally posted by JoeM:
Nice job bud! Congrats on a pretty looking deer, is that the same stand you took that six a few years back and have the pic of three generations? Thanks for the great story and pica as always. Joe
Yes it is bud!
Also the stand Cade shot his second deer from back in '12, and the stand I shot my "Ten Years and Two days" buck from last year. [/b]
That's awesome, a place where generations can always go back to and tell old stories
Congratulations on a very unique buck! The story was great.
Congrats again man! Cool buck for sure :thumbsup:
Thanx fellas!!!
I've never seen anything like that either. Bet he avoided fights. That is really strange to see a deer that size with such little antler. And really cool.
Thanks for sharing....and congrats!!! Now I have to go read Cade's story....
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
My youngest son killed a 175# 3.5 year old buck like that in the late 1980s in Butts county, Ga on a tract of land my brother and I owned half interest in at the time. He shot it for a doe. The deer ran fine but walked on three legs with a limp, the left front leg froze in a folded position such that it could not be straightened.
One of the other owners was on the property and an MD; the lady friend of the fourth owner was a Vet. and on the property with us as well. Both the MD and Vet. examined the buck and it was discovered that the buck had experienced severe trauma in the past and survived, likely from a collision with a vehicle.
The Vet. told us that buck deer when injured, typically show some abnormality in their antlers, from minor to extensive. She also said that it uncommon that one's antlers would be impacted to this extent. She also said that with this buck's injuries, the obvious being a broken shoulder and a broken jaw with several teeth missing on the same side as the broken shoulder and likely some other damage that wasn't readily obvious, it was surprising the buck had survived at all.
I have photos and will try to dig them up and scan tomorrow.
I found it.
(http://i544.photobucket.com/albums/hh338/spikeknife/buck_zpsc975efdc.jpeg) (http://s544.photobucket.com/user/spikeknife/media/buck_zpsc975efdc.jpeg.html)
LA, that's cool bud.
I'm not sure the reason this deer didn't have more antler....he was a beautiful, normal walking deer without a mark on him...
We don't need to know "why" on everything. :)
Great buck, Curt. Those VPA heads are great heads.